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* Jazz Festival: 23rd-28th July
2004*
| Much lesser known that its coastal
Spanish counterparts, San Sebastian is perhaps better left
the secret it is. Those who do choose to go here to learn
Spanish will not need to be told why. The incredible golden
beach is worlds away from the crowded, touristy ones of the
southern Costas, while the town itself is a delightful mix
of Basque tradition and Spanish, surrounded by the lush green
hills of Gipúzcoa.
What San Sebastián may be well known for, however,
is its ability to host a good party. Year-round you'll find
thriving tapas bars in its Parte Vieja and restaurants dishing
up plate after plate of outstanding seafood & nouvelle
cuisine. But come the summer and we're talking real
fiesta!
With the frenzied bull running of San
Fermín kicking it all off in nearby Pamplona next
week, July then rocks with the 36th
Annual Jazz Festival; August sparkles with the International
Fireworks Competition, Semana Grande and the Quincena
Music Fortnight; and September gets glitzy with the eagerly-awaited
International
Film Festival. Forget the sweltering south of Spain this
summer - be cool in San Sebastián. |
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"San Sebastian is gorgeous!! I've promised myself to
return to live there for a few years one day. I highly recommend
it as a place to learn the tongue and the culture...it is
rather cosmopolitan and not only is every view spectacular,
but the people are not at all haughty about it. I've never
encountered such friendliness. It has the attribute of being
large enough to be called a city, but small and warm enough
to have small town ambience, especially in the Parte Vieja.
I greatly enjoyed the lessons and the extremely congenial
and helpful manner of the staff. I especially enjoyed the
lessons in which we digressed into discussions about the Basque
country, culture and present political situation.
Thank you again for the wonderful
job and I will be sure to use Cactus again should I decide
to do another language course!"
Miranda de Savorgnani |
1 week General
Spanish Course (20 lessons per week) = £139
* £10 course supplement July 7th - August 29th
More Info: For details of all programmes email
Sarah or see
our website >> |
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Book Now For September - Not To Be Missed!!
The huge success of our Spanish
& Salsa Group Holiday in May means that we're looking forward
even more to our second holiday in September. This is your ultimate
chance to learn a little of the lingo in the morning, perfect your
moves in the afternoon and strut your stuff on the dance floor by
night. It's fun, social and fast-paced - we guarantee it's the most
fun you can have in one week!
Dates: Sun 5th - Sat 11th Sept
Price: £499
What's Included: Welcome evening, bilingual tour host &
orientation pack, Spanish & Salsa classes, 3 star hotel with
breakfast, airport transfer from Barcelona airport, activities.
More Info: Please email
Laura or see
our website.
Get into the mood with feedback
from our May holiday >>
There are many cheap flights to Barcelona in September - just ask
us for a quote!
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New Courses Start Soon - it's CHEAPER than
booking direct with the school!
Languages available: German, French, Italian, Spanish
& Japanese
Location: opposite Green Park, 3 mins walk from
Green Park or Hyde Park Corner tube
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Small Group Size: max 12 students
Teachers: fully qualified, native speakers
Complete Beginners: Survival Course (1 or 2 evenings
per week, 6 weeks).
Next course week starting Aug 2nd. Only £94 online!
All Levels (including beginners): Longterm Course (1 evening
per week, 11 weeks).
Next course week starting July 12th. Only £194 online!
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NEW! Survival Courses
on Saturdays (Beginners Only)
Courses run for 4 Saturdays from 10am-1pm. Start dates 19th June,
31st July, 4th Sept, 16th Oct & 20th Nov. Only £104 online!
For
full info and to book online for Evening Courses in the UK >>
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The best places to be laying your towel this summer are...
France - Nice
Nice's Promenade des Anglais is indisputably the place to see,
and be seen, while the beach is the place to soak up the sun no
matter your age and regardless of the pebbles. Strut your stuff
and watch others strut theirs - and then choose one of many cool
bars to enjoy a cocktail as the sun goes down.
2 week General
French Course in Nice = £409
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Spain - Alicante
Alicante is the king of holiday destinations. And in honour of
its beaches - to which, after all, the Costa Blanca owes much of
its fame - we have a great new school just 5 minutes from its golden,
sandy shores...
2 week General
Spanish Course in Alicante Playa = ONLY
£179
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Portugal - Faro
If Alicante is the king of holiday destinations, then the Algarve
is queen. And there's no doubt you could find many people to dispute
the ranking. So why don't you just go and find out for yourself...and
while at it you can admire the wonderful rocky coastline and eat
your heart's content of delicious sardinhas grilhadas...mm.
1 week General
Portuguese Course in Faro = £199
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Italy - Sorrento
The Campania region of Italy's mezzogiorno - or south, literally
meaning midday - is a traveller's delight. With a stunning coastline
dotted with attractive towns and ancient ruins, and a string of
islands glistening in the distant Tyrrhenian, this is a real gem
to be soaked up and enjoyed.
1 week General
Italian Course in Sorrento = £189
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Greece - Chania
Surrounded by glistening blue sea and with a stunning backdrop
of mountains, Chania is a real Mediterranean gem. Basking in the
sun and looking out onto a sea of a hundred sparkling blues, learning
a little Greek and immersing yourself in the culture won't seem
like hard work at all...
2 week General
Greek Course in Chania = £409
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| NEW
Location 2004 - Hamburg |
NEW
Location 2004 -
Manuel Antonio |
NEW
Residence -
Bordeaux |
NEW
School -
Playa del Carmen |
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Did you know...that 60%
of our clients are now booking online and saving
£10 thanks to our new, easy-to-use booking process?
But remember our friendly and professional Product team are always
at the end of the phone to chat you through your holiday arrangements.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
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Fiona Speirs: 3 Week General Italian Course in Rome, June 04
"I write this sitting on the balcony of the palatial
art deco flat I share with my two fellow-students from
school (a Belgian psychologist and a British special forces policeman),
watching the sun set red-and-gold over the dome of the nearby Vatican.
This is my third language holiday with Cactus in Italy (last year
Sorrento, the year before Tropea) and, as usual, my
expectations have only been
exceeded. What Rome lacks in sand and sea, it more than
makes up for in buzzing metropolitan life. After morning school
(9am to 1pm) I am daily torn between making the most of Rome’s
cultural treasures, indulging in a spot of shopping or just hanging
out in cafes with friends. There’s also the option of social
activities with school, such as city walks, wine tasting or talks
on local culture. And in what cloudy days we have had, I’ve
improved my language skills with trips to the cinema, though mostly,
I confess, to see global blockbusters dubbed into Italian.
The standard of teaching at school is very high and my latest teacher,
Ciro, outstanding. Each day we cover four or five different activities,
from more serious analysis of articles on Italian life to role-playing
and learning popular songs, to more light-hearted tuition in essential
Roman slang. This of course comes in handy for our evening social
life. Rome really comes alive after midnight, with the central Campo
dei Fiori teeming with literally hundreds of locals of all ages
taking a stroll. Only in Rome could someone at this time of night
produce a football from nowhere and start an impromptu
50-a-side football match, including several of the good-natured
local carabinieri (military police). Returning to London will be,
as ever, a tough fall back to earth, but in the meantime I’m
making the most of la dolce vita!"
To find out more about Fiona's Italian
Course in Rome >> |
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| Sonia Jeaiem: 3 week
Mini-Group General Spanish Course in Havana Vedado, May 04
"Thank you so much for arranging my holiday to Havana.
I have very much appreciated your efficiency - without that
I wouldn’t have booked with your company. The host family
I stayed with was very nice and my room up to standard; cleaned
three times a week and with air conditioning. Hilda, my teacher,
was very efficient as well and was willing to answer all my
questions. The highlight of my trip was the Salsa classes!
The teachers were great and they taught me some steps that
I practised on my many evenings out. I would advise students
to go on organised trips with a local agency where you get
a proper guide and a proper transport. Another thing that
I would like is a school in Habana Vieja, where all the sites
are!
Finally I am very happy that I chose to stay in a host family.
It is so much better than staying in a hotel because you get
to know the culture of a country much better, and I am looking
forward to going back to La Habana.
PS. This picture has been taken from a forteress in Havana
(it's me in the white skirt) - the other people in the picture
are also students of different nationalities."
For more info on Sonia's Spanish
Course in Havana >>
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| Natalie Jaque: 3
Week General Spanish Course in Manuel Antonio, April 2004
"¡Hola! My trip was fantastic and the school was
great. The people were lovely and the location was incredible
- we had monkeys playing in the trees next to our class! Quepos
as a town won't be everyone's cup of tea - it is small and
in the rainy season quite quiet, and you do have to take a
bus to get to school and/or the beach - but that just added
to my enjoyment.
It's such a great location as you really do have it all -
rainforest, canopy tours, horse-riding,
the most beautiful beaches, surfing lessons etc.
- and the school was really good fun. And the best bit was
that there were very few English people there! Perfect! In
fact I was the first the school had had for years which made
me feel special! The family I stayed with were so sweet and
couldn't do enough for me, as were all the staff at the school.
I cannot recomend them highly enough. If you want, I would
be more than happy to write a proper article for you and I
have a few photos of the school and town I can email should
you want them - just let me know. Please thank Sarah for arranging
such a cool trip for me! All the best, Natalie."
For more info on Natalie's Spanish
Course in Manuel Antonio >> |
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| Angela
Parkes: 1 week Intensive German Course in Hamburg, April 2004
"I enjoyed my few last-minute days of German in Hamburg.
The school is very good and, apart from a certain surprise
and 'deference' because I am a) old and b) a teacher of German
(the teacher of the class asked if we might dutzen), I managed
to fit in and it certainly enlivened what might have been
a rather boring week in Hamburg. Thanks for arranging things
so quickly. Shall be coming to you again, though I don't know
when or which language! Thanks again."
For more info on Angela's German
Course in Hamburg >> |
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Book One or All The Kids - The More
The Merrier!
Don't let the kids kick their heels this summer - it's not to
late to book one of our Junior
Programmes in Europe, giving them the chance to go abroad,
learn some of the language, take part in whole range of sporting
and social activities and, most importantly, mix with others
of the same age. Our programmes are fully supervised and ideal
either for a child on their own, or a group of friends wanting
to go away together and have some fun this summer! Catering
for 4-18 yrs, there really is no excuse to have bored kids this
holiday period...
Please email
Laura for further info or check details
online >>
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This newsletter is for you. If there is anything you would
like to see covered in this newsletter, please e-mail
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